Nonaccumulative bandit alarm retard device



July 9, 1935. R. M. 'HQPKINS EIAL 2,007,371

NONACCUMULATIVE BANDIT ALARM RETARD DEVICE Filed Feb. 24, 1952 BETARD DEVICE I Richard M. Hopkins}. Rutherford, N;- J; and

William J. Kleinknecht,

Stratford, Conn, as-

' signors toAmeric-an-Disttict Telegraph Comev ,pany, New, ,York, N. Y., a'corporationbf New Jersey Application uary 24;1932;sever-Nutmeg 1 70mins. (01. 177-314) r This inventionrelatestoalarms and accumulator devices and methods of operation thereofland more particularly to sound-sensitive accumulator j disturbances alarms and devices, whereby an a1arm,,w hich will not be set. off by one ora very, few disturbances, will beset ofi by a considerable niunber of :such In: such devices as heretofore constructed an accumulator is moved an increment f each time said-sound-sensitive device is actuated;

and the alarm is operatedby the accumulator only after accumulated movements thereof, as caused by repeated sound disturbances, i

l These accumulator devices have, the defect of being set oif by a number of veryinfrequent'disturbances, 1 thereby causing undesired false alarms. l l

Therefore one object oi th e invention issto' provide an 1 apparatus or device of this kind 1 which will not beset off by and whichzwillbe set off by suficiently frequent disturbances; To this end, another object of the invention isto provide anapparatus or device of this kindt provided with'means restoring-theaccumulator 'to clear it of thexa'accumulation of very infrequent movements;

theinventionlis notlimit Another-object of the invention is, to provide an apparatus or; device ofthis kind which may be atqwill or automatically cleared as ,amatter of routine; 3G

\ l j }Otlier1cbjectsoi the-invention'are to improve generally-the: simplicity-and -efficiency of such methods a and apparatus and to provide {a device or a apparatus oi -this kind which iscertain, and

reliable in 1. operation, q re nd n l c w f Stilbotli objectsoi the invention will appear asthe des c iption proceeds; andfwhile herein detailsof the invention are described and claimed, ed to these sincemany and various changes may bev made'rwithout deand economical Vito manuf parting from the scopeioi the inventionasclaimed .in. the j broader. claims;

.Theinventive" features for the aaattshsat received-within that stated interval, no alarm lofiithese andbth'er objects are shown'herein in connection with an .improved'alarm device which, briefly stated, includesjthe accumulator operating the, 'a1armjand means periodically operated atsuitable intervals" of, for nstance, every fifteen minutes for-restoring the accumulator. The accumulatorfis cleared at"said timed intervals, so thattun-lessthe number or disturbancesnecessary fto-carrythe accumulator-to an alarm position are w re -1 e The-object of such an arrangement 15 t very infrequent disturbances for periodically is ,;attracted,

come falsealarms due to extraneous disturbances at infrequent intervals. Thus, if every halfhour a heavy street car were to pass ia'bank having the heretofore known common and create suhicient disturbances to step up the accumulator, it I send through about ten'impulses and thereby set off an alarm. To overcomethis, the usual method is to adjust the sound responsive apparatus so that it will be less sensitive to these extraneous noises. In doing this however it-oi course the defect of being made iess sensitive tothe noises -which it is expected to detect. object of the invention to overcome this defect.

In the accompanying drawing showingyby way of the invention; the figure" view'of the apparatus.

' system is controlled by'an alarm 'initiating device,- for instance a sound sensitive de such would, in the course of five :houms,

wwf s 'typeoi accumulator til 1 is ofiexample, one of I many possible embodiments is a; diagrammatic as a microphone -5flconnected byconduc orsii series a sensitive galvanometer I, ,a variable switch 11, 18 to once d. of the coil of a stepping e1ectro magnet p20 havingitsptherend connected by conductors 21,22 to a pair of nomhallmdisengaged contacts, 23., whenebyyvhen variationinsaid. soundecontrolledcircuit causedbysoundvibration .oi themicrophone diaphragm causes vibration f v saidneedle M into-contact with one of said oon,-

tacts .23 said stepping-magnet 2.0 isenergizedand caused .to attract .a (normally rretracted pivoted "active armature .25. t

:Abell-crank shaped active pawl 128,39, pivoted I at its angle part to-,-the-,-iree endof anmature .25 has .aclowerarm 12 9 vlyingalong thevarmature,

the-other arm being formed-intoaanend pawkhook .28; engageable with atoothedaccumulator sector 150; 1 Astop 32 engageable with theireeendl-ofrsaid 2 5 retracting -movement ozf the (armature and serves tosforce' the hook-2 8 from me sector when the armature is: retracted by. a spring Q33 engaging,anintermediate'pant aof'qthe. inactive :armvtorretracting -thearmaturewhemtheimagnet Fis ceeners'ized; s. d s n se v ng: ion drawin the hook zagainst the :sector when the armature whereby; on each, operation? aof :the iCQIlSBQfl-E'Ilt :-.attraction 70f the microphone aand armature, the sector is moved. in increment a'gainst the alarm signaling device sounds.

and subsequently,

alarm current source 44 in series between the elements of the alarm switch 38, 39, wherebyv whenever said switch is closed, an alarm is sounded;

A pivoted detent armature 45 having a hooked free end 46 forms a detentpawl normally yieldably engaged with said teethtohold the sector against restoring movement, whereby said in'crements of movement of the sector may, if sufficiently frequent, be accumulated until said pin 31 engages and closes the alarmswitch and sounds the alarm.

'If the sound disturbances are not sufficiently frequent, the sector will be restored by the action of a'clearing'or restoring electro magnet 47 adapted when energized to attract the detent arma ture 45.and retractithe detent pawl 46 to restore the sector as will nowbe explained. A normally open clearing switch 48, 49isconnected by conductors 50, 52,. 53ainfseries circuit with the clearing or restoringima'gnet coil 41 and current source 54, whereby when a rotary restoring cam 55 periodically engageable with the member 49 of said clearing-switch closes the latter at frequent intervals, for instance fifteen minute intervals, the clearing magnet is energized thereby to. attract the armature 4,5 and allow the spring 35 to restore the sector, thuseliminating disturbances accumulated at infrequent intervals, while permitting the accumulation; of disturbances between engagements of the cam. 2

Without, the switch- I1, l8, the accumulator could; notbe restored-if the cam engagement'took place whilethe armature 25 wasdrawn down, as the hook 28 would be engaged with the accumulatorteeth. Therefore the normally closed cut out switch I1, I 8 is interposed in the motor circuit to be opened (each time the: accumulator is cleared). byanactuating arm .56 carried by the detent armature .45 for opening themotor circuit during restoring to release active armature 25 and insurethe disengagement the active pawl whenever the detent pawl 46 is disengaged. There is also provided a normally open routine; conditioning switch 57, 58 connected by conductors 59, '60 in parallel with the switch 48, 49 for routine closing, for restoringthe sector as at ofiiceor bank as'at closin'g time. This switch 51, 58 may be manually or automatically operated in any desired manner.

Thus it is seen that a periodical clearance of the sound accumulator 30' takes place every time l minute intervals, which actuates the restoring magnet 41, permitting the sound accumulator 30 to be reset. T This timed contact of the cam 55 can'be readily arranged from the clock mechanism which in contact of the cam 55 is made at, say,

some present systems is used for timing the hours when the alarm protection is w I in effect, and which is also used for limiting the length of time that 'Iheoperation is obvious from the foregoing. If-only a'few sound disturbances received at the microphone 5 are to move to alarm position before contact is caused by'the cam 55, this'contact will cause magnets 20 4''! to be energized, the accumulator rwill be restored and no alarm will be sounded. p

insufficient tocause the pin 31 common infrequent sounds,

, 7 2,007,371 the action of a restoring spring 35 for restoring However, if the sound disturbance or fdisturbances are continuous or frequent as by drilling, torch or electric cutting or other burglar operations, the accumulator will be stepped to alarm position before the contact of cam 55, and an alarm will be sent.

' I claim as my invention:

1.-An alarm apparatus comprising a sound actuated device adapted to be located in a buildingand operative by noise of burglar operation therein and by infrequent street noises exterior to the building; an accumulator member mov- .able bye-said device. an increment each time the device is operated; alarm means operable by the member after accumulated movements thereof; and timedmeans for automatically periodically restoring the member to initial position, often enough to prevent alarm by said infrequent street noises, and far enough apart to allow the send-, ing of an alarm by said burglar operations, thereby to prevent the sending of false alarms by said street noises, while'maintaining the apparatus in condition to send alarms from burglar operation.

2. An apparatus' comprising a sound sensitive device; a motor circuit a stepping motor in and controlled. by said circuit; an accumulator member; engagement means operated by' the motor and engageable with said member. to move it an increment each time the motor is operated and withdrawn from the member when the motor is deenergized; means tending to restore the member to initial position; a translating means operable by the member after accumulated movements thereof; a detent engaging the accumulator member for holding the member against restoring movement; a clearingelectro magnet adapted when energized to attract the detent from the accumulator member to allow the member to be restored} 'a normally open clearing switch connected in series circuit with the clearing magnet coil; restoring means for closing said clearing switch; and means carried by the detent to open the motor circuitlwhen the detent is attracted.

controlled by said device;

device; a motor circuit controlled by said device; a stepping motor in and controlled by said circuit; an accumulator member; engagement means operated by the motor and engageable with the member to move it an increment only when the motor is operated; means tending to restore the member to initial position; a translating means operable bythe member after accumulated movements thereof; a detent engagingfthe accumulator member for holding the member against restoring movement; a clearing electro magnet adapted when energized .to attract the detent from the accumulator member to allow the member to ,be restored; a normally .open clearing switch connected in series circuit with periodically closing said clearing quent. intervals; and an actuating means carried by the, detent for opening the motor circuit to release the engagement means from'engagement .with the accumulator to allow the accumulator member to be restored.

4. An apparatus including in combination an alarm circuit, a stepping accumulator associated with said circuit for control thereof; another circuit having therein an element responsive to and an 'oscillative member; means disposed between said member and said accumulator for stepping the latter responsive to said common sounds, means for holding the accumulator after each step, and means for periodically releasing the accumulator to normally prevent operation of the alarm circuit,

said element adapted also to be vibrated by surreptitious sounds whereby likewise to step the accumulator, the steps caused by said latter sounds being additive to the first steps,whereby to operate the alarm circuit before the normal release period. t v V f 5. An'apparatus' comprising in combination an electric circuit having therein an alarm, spring controlled ratchet means cooperating with said circuitfor control thereof, another circuit having therein an element responsive to common infrequents sounds, said latter circuit including an oscillative member; means disposed between said member andthefirst means for stepping the ratchet a one tooth interval against the action of the spring responsive to said sounds, and means for periodically releasing the ratchet so as to prevent operation of the alarm, said element adapted also to beactuated by surreptitious sounds, whereby the alarm may be operated before anormal release.

6. In combination with an electric circuit including an a1arm,a spring controlledratchet cooperating with said circuit for control thereof,

another circuit including an element which is responsive to common infrequent soundsysaid latter circuit including an oscillative member, interposed means cooperating with said member and having a, pawl engaging theratchet for stepping the latter a one tooth interval responsive to said sounds, means for holding the ratchet after each step, and means forperiodically releasing the ratchet so as to normally prevent operation of the alarm, said element adapted also to be actuated by surreptitious sounds, whereby to operate the alarm the end of a release period,

' cent to and coacting with said lever, the last mentioned circuit having contacts coacting with said member, so that said latter circuit may be closed on said sounds in order to step the ratchet, means 5 for holding the ratchet after each step, and means for periodically releasing the ratchet so as to normally prevent actuation of the alarm circuit, said member being also adapted to be oscillated by sounds caused surreptitiously, said respective sounds being additive, whereby with the second mentioned sounds, the alarm may be operated before a normal release of the ratchet.

RICHARD M. HOPKINS.

WILLIAM J. KLEINKNECHT, 

